IN CHATT1SGHER. 503 



Pretoddharini are the Mahanadi and P'yri rivers. Raju, the Puranik adds, 

 is known to this day, amongst the brahmins of Orissa, by the name of Kamal 

 Kshetra, and amongst those of Benares, by the name of Padmapur. The 

 three appellations, of Kamal Kshetra, Padmapur and Raja Lochan, have 

 reference to the lotus, and the first is said to have been given by Brahma 

 Deo. 



In the Bhavishyottara P'uran, translated into Hindi by Jurawan Sukul, 

 an inhabitant of Nowagher in Chattisgher, the same Mahatmya is related to 

 Dharmraj who with his brother visited Raju, by Markandeya Rishi, and 

 another was communicated to Brahma Deo by Snmg Rishi as follows : 



"• At the period of the celebrated Aswamedh, a Raja named Raju Lo- 

 chan reigned at Raju. The horse Shamkarn having arrived there, the Raja 

 seized him, and gave him to a celebrated Rishi named Kardama who re- 

 sided on the banks of the Mahanadi. Satrughna who followed the horse 

 with his army, attempting to take him from the Rishi was reduced with his 

 army to ashes by the effects of the holy man's curse. Ramchander, on hear- 

 ing the fate of Satrughna, marched in person to avenge his fate. The Raja 

 met him, and obtained favor in his sight. Ramchander told the Raja that 

 there were of old two deities at Raju, Utpaleswar Mahadeo, and Nilkan- 

 theswar ; that Seo and Krishna were one ; and that he himself would hence- 

 forth take up his abode there in the worship of Seo. Ramchander accord- 

 ingly ordered the Raja to set up an image in his name, and to call it Raju 

 Lochan, and added that its fame would be great, and that an annual feast 

 should be held in his honor, on the Makar Sankrant in Magh. After pay- 

 ing his respects to Kardama Rishi, recovering his horse, and restoring 

 Satrughna and the army to life; Ramchander returned to Ayodhya." 



The image set up on this occasion is supposed to have been lost, and 

 after the lapse of ages, to have been recovered, through supernatural means, 



